This has taken us some time to get around to, hasn’t it?   Blame Covid. Of course I got it too, I was a bit over optimistic thinking I would evade the virus. Much to my surprise, and Keith’s too I think, I got the full meal deal, a revolving door of symptoms and even today, six days in, I am not one hundred percent. I finally feel like I am getting there though. I am undecided if the worst of it were the days I felt like I was swallowing razor blades, or the headaches and nausea that followed as soon as my throat started feeling better. Keith has a lingering cough, which isn’t unusual we don’t think, but felt better just as I was feeling really low, and has done an amazing job of looking after me. Friends and neighbours were wonderful as well, so we are feeling very blessed. We will always wonder where Keith picked it up. He has been so careful throughout and that didn’t change at all on the trip. There is no way of knowing of course. 

The trip. Oh I am so glad we went. It was a great idea to spend three nights in Lisbon at the start. The bikes did arrive of course, the reason for that decision, but it was grand to feel relaxed right from the get go. Perhaps that is why the tour turned into the slow show. That is something else I enjoyed. That sense of living in the moment, not feeling like we needed to be anywhere specific by a specific date.

My favourite part of Portugal was the coast south of Lisbon. I loved Setubal and the surrounding area. Then Porto Covo, Vila de la Milfontes and Zambujeira were amazing. Once in the Algarve we could appreciate the beaches (oh my) and Luz and Lagos were touristy but wonderful. When we returned to Portugal through Alentejo I loved it as well. The Portuguese food was delicious and the wine pour incredibly generous!  There are hills in Portugal for sure, but nothing too challenging and it kept it interesting. The Portuguese people were to a person friendly, interesting and interested. The fact that so many speak fluent English was a huge help to us English only speakers. 

Spain was more of a challenge for us in the language department. In the small towns and on the back roads we frequent English was not often spoken. Our fault for not studying a little Spanish before we left, but everyone was good natured and both a good game of charades and Google translate usually helped. It did make asking about the route ahead more of a challenge for the CN.  Sevilla was an exception of course, many English speakers there. 

My favourite things?   Being outside every day, most of them on my bicycle.  Lisbon. Setubal and surroundings. The Portuguese coast between Sines and Zambujeira. The kindness of people we met. Cycling in a tee shirt and shorts virtually every day. The blue of the sky. The unexpected while on the road. Our rooftop tour of the cathedral in Sevilla. Our ability to slow down and enjoy. Laughter, so often!   Spanish ice cubes. I loved Spanish ice cubes!  Learning the Spanish word for ice in the funniest way possible. Cycling on the beach. Jerez de la Frontera. Cadiz. Fighting the wind into Olvera. Nothing quite like feeling epic on a rail trail hehe. So many amazing memories. The weather. Will I ever be able to cycle tour again where the weather isn’t consistently glorious?  Well, except for the last five days, but even then it was deliciously warm. 

The only thing I didn’t care for was how often we were on the road. Fortunately it was almost always quiet highways with little traffic, but sometimes busier roads couldn’t be avoided and I was developing a real dislike of cars. The shoulderless roads in the Pueblo Blancos were a challenge, not because of the drivers, they were, to a person, amazing, but because as we climbed the hills ever so slowly next to one of those vee shaped concrete ditches I felt like I was in the way with nowhere to pull over and let the traffic by. The drivers were amazing though, in both Portugal and Spain (with the exception of one memorable idiot on a motorcycle). A bit of a struggle for me was the Spanish restaurants not opening until 8:30 at night (at the earliest). Try as I might I didn’t do a good job of adjusting to that!   Portugal was much easier in that regard. Places start to open at 7 PM. 

I did miss the mountains, but the weather and the beaches certainly helped make up for that.  I would fly back to Portugal and start over tomorrow.  I am already doing research. The north of Portugal remains for us to explore, and the north of Spain, south of France. The Douro Valley. There is the N2 highway down the middle of Portugal. There are dozens of places I would go back and do a hub and spoke. There is a great circuit in the Alentejo I would like to explore. Mallorca!   Did I mention Mallorca?   Let the dreaming begin, and a little Spanish language study 👍. 

*Just a final note. We write our final thoughts completely independently, no peeking or discussion (and certainly no editing) allowed.